Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who is on a two-day trip to the delta districts to assess damage in flood-hit areas, visited places of religious importance pertaining to the three major faiths in the district on Wednesday.
Mr. Palaniswami, who spent a good part of the day meeting farmers who suffered heavy losses due to the heavy rain caused by the two successive cyclones, made an unscheduled trip to Dharmapuram Adheenam, an age-old Saivite institution in Mayiladuthurai, and sought the blessings of Srilashri Masilamani Desika Gnanasambanda Swamigal. The pontif honoured the Chief Minister with a shawl and a garland. The meeting lasted for about half an hour.
The Chief Minister, accompanied his Cabinet colleagues S.P. Velumani, O.S. Manian and C. Vijayabaskar, then drove to Vailankanni and offered prayers at the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health. He also met Rector Rev. Fr. A.M.A. Prabakar and received his blessings.
Nagore was Mr. Palaniswami’s third religious stop on Wednesday, where he paid a visit to the dargah and participated in a prayer.
Though the Chief Minister’s tour schedule in Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Mayiladurai districts were made public, his visits to the religious places were kept confidential till the last minute.
DMK youth wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin had also visited Dharmapuram Adheenam recently, and sought the blessings of Srilashri Masilamani Desika Gnanasambanda Swamigal, shortly after kick-starting his public outreach programme.
